


A Day In The Life

by miss_grey



Series: What We Do In The Dark [11]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Slash, protective babe heffron, witch gene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-30 20:21:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19034971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_grey/pseuds/miss_grey
Summary: After learning the truth from Gene, Babe isn't quite ready to face Bill and his other Philly friends yet.  So, he stays.





	A Day In The Life

**Author's Note:**

> Just another adorable interlude with these two sweet boys before we get back into the winnix angst fest. Btw, here is the link to the spotify playlist I made for this series. Honestly, I just listen to these 4 songs on repeat while I write but it seems to be working for me :)
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5qaBWxIejT0I7ob6deGcv9

 

 

Somewhere in the Bayou…

 

 

Gene sat back from his work and glanced over at Babe, who was grinding herbs nearby.  “It’s done.  I’ll get this medicine packaged up and yo’ pack will be good for another two months.”

Babe fidgeted with his hands.  “Alright.  Thanks, Gene.  Really.  I dunno if the other guys ever tell you that, but I’m sure they appreciate what you do for them.”

Gene waved him off.  “I’m sure they do.”

“But…uh… I was wondering.  I mean, it seems like you’re a really busy guy, and I don’t want to impose.  But… would you mind if I stayed a couple extra days?  It’s just…I’ve been thinking about everything you told me, and what Bill told me, and I haven’t quite figured out what to say to him and the other guys when I get back yet.  I could help you around here instead, if you want?”

Gene stared at Babe for a long moment, his dark eyes unfathomable—Babe never could tell what he was thinking.  Finally, he said “You afraid of the swamp, Edward?”

Babe shuddered and thought about lying, but he knew Gene would be able to see right through him.  “Not the swamp, really, just…snakes and alligators.  And insects.”

“I’ve got to go gather supplies today.  In the swamp.  You could come with me.”

Babe’s shoulders relaxed and he gave Gene a brilliant smile.  “Thanks, Gene.”

“No problem.”

 

* * *

 

 

And that is how Babe found himself squelching his way through swampland, shoes sinking deep into muck, pants rolled up to try to keep them dry and clean, getting bitten by every mosquito under the sun, and dodging gnarled, clawing tree branches.  Gene made it look so easy, weaving his way gracefully through the mess.  Gene’s boots didn’t sink, and his clothes weren’t dirty.  They were both soaked in sweat—couldn’t help that.  Babe tried to step where Gene did, to stay on the path, but it didn’t seem to work for him.

“So what were those things I heard the other night?  In the swamp?”

Gene continued to pick his way along a path only he could see.  “Lots a’ things.  Some gators, probably, and maybe a wild cat or two.  The will o’ wisps like to come ‘round here.  But they can’t hurt you by themselves.  Jus’ don’t listen to ‘em.”

“Will o’ wisps?”  Babe asked, dodging a stump, “what are those?”

“Spirits.  They like to lure unwary travelers to the depths of the swamp an’ leave ‘em there.  Some of ‘em drown.  Some of ‘em starve.  Some of ‘em end up as gator food.”  Gene cast a smirk at Babe.  “Be cautious at night, Edward.  Will o’ wisps can imitate the voices of people you know, to try to get you to follow ‘em.  Don’t.”

“Right,” Babe said, making a mental note.  “Don’t go into the swamp at night, no matter who asks.”

Gene nodded, satisfied.  “Good.”

“So, uh…what else lurks around here?”

Gene cocked a dark brow.  “You sure you wanna know?”

“Might as well.  I mean, I found out that everyone I know’s been lyin’ to me my whole life.  Figure I should start payin’ more attention.”

“Fair enough.”  Gene continued his trek.  “Occasionally a vampire finds its way down here, mostly because of those goddamn novels.  But they don’t stay long.  They head back to the cities where the feeding’s good, and people don’t go lookin’ for each other.”  Gene cast a look over his shoulder.  “Vampires and werewolves are old adversaries.  They don’t tend to show up in the same places, so you’re probably pretty safe with yo’ pack.”

“You don’t like ‘em.”

Gene shrugged.  “It’s nothin’ personal.  All creatures gotta feed on somethin’.  But I think a man should be cautious of a creature that’s meant to feed on him.”

Babe chuckled.  “Good point.”

“We get a lot of revenants and ghouls down this way.  They mostly feed on dead things, so I don’t gotta worry too much, but sometimes they bother people in the parish, and then I get involved.”  Gene hummed, casting his eyes around.  “Keep yo’ eyes open for a white flower…might be a rose mallow.  Or any mushrooms.  I need more of both a those things.”

“Okay.”

 

* * *

 

 

They trekked through the swamp for hours, but eventually Gene found enough of what he needed and took pity on Babe, so they headed back to his house.  Once there, Gene made them a rich, flavorful (and spicy) soup of some kind, which prompted Babe to sweat even harder, but it tasted so good he kept eating it.  Gene laughed at him.

In the late afternoon, they were interrupted from their project of sorting herbs by a cry for help from outside.  Gene had bolted out the door faster than Babe could even respond and a moment later, he was ushering three middle aged men into the crowded confines of his living room.  Two of them laid a third in the middle of the floor.  “Give me space,” Gene ordered, and everyone including Babe took a large step back.  “What happened?”

“Bit by a cottonmouth,” one of them said.

“How long ago?”

“’Bout an hour.  We were huntin’ and it took a while to get back to the truck.”

“Alright.  Stay back.”  Gene rolled his shoulders then settled on the floor next to the man who was wheezing and shaking.  His eyes were wide with fear and his lips had gone pale.  “Shhhh,” Gene murmured to the man, laying a hand on his forehead, “Yo’ gonna be alright.”  The man stopped shaking.  “Where’s the bite at?”

“Right ankle.”  The first man said, pointing.

“Hmmmm,” Gene hummed, “gotta watch out for ‘em,  ‘specially this time a year.  You like the weather, they like the weather.”  He placed his hands on the man’s chest, spread wide, and began to murmur to himself.  Babe only caught every other word, but it sounded like French to him.  “That’s right,” Gene murmured, “just breathe.  Yo’ doin’ good.”  He moved his hands slowly down the man’s belly, then his leg, and finally settled on his ankle.  Gene closed his eyes and began murmuring again. 

Babe and the other two men stood back in quiet fascination.  Babe might be from the city, but he was pretty sure this wasn’t how most people would treat a snake bite.  Certainly not doctors.  Still, no one made a move to disturb Gene.

They waited for what must have been fifteen or twenty minutes, during which Gene spoke softly and everyone else was silent.  Then, finally, Gene sat back and opened his eyes.  He gazed at his patient.  “How ya feel?”

“Better,” the man croaked.  “I can breathe again.  And I don’t feel like I’m gonna be sick.”

“Good.”  Gene wiped his hands on his jeans.  “It’s gonna be swollen for a day or two.  You should rest it and put some ice on it.  But you’re gonna be alright, now.”

“Thank you,” the man gasped as his friends hauled him to his feet.  “Thank you, Doc.”

“It’s no bother,” Gene said, as the three men made their way back out to their truck.  “Take care.”

After the door was shut behind the men, Gene slumped back against it, his whole body sagging. 

“Whoa,” Babe said, rushing toward him, “are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Gene muttered, unconvincingly.  “Jus’ tired.”

Babe regarded him warily.  “Does this always happen after you help someone?”

Gene shrugged.  “Most times.”

“So what do you do?  Usually?”

“Sleep.”

“Oh.  Okay.  Do you need help gettin’ to bed?”

“I can make my way.”  With that, Gene heaved himself to his feet and made his way painfully slowly to the other end of the house.  Babe followed cautiously behind him.  He didn’t want to invade Gene’s space, but he also didn’t want him to collapse in the hallway.  He reached the doorway just as Gene dropped himself into a neatly made bed and the man pulled a quilt over himself.

“Can I get you anything?”

“I’ll be fine, Edward.”

Babe frowned.  “Is it always this bad?”

“It’s been much worse.”

Babe frowned harder.  “So who helps you when it gets that bad?”  Gene stared blankly back at Babe, almost as if he didn’t comprehend the question.  Babe cursed.  “Really?  No one helps you?”

Gene shrugged.  “I’m a big boy.  Can take care o’ myself, Edward.”

Babe crossed his arms, unimpressed.  “Well, you shouldn’t have to.  If I’m hearin’ right, you take care of anyone that comes to you, and you never ask for anything in return.  Instead, you deal with the consequences alone.  It ain’t right.”  He shook his head.  “Well, today I’m here, and I’m gonna take care of you.  Tell me what you need and I’ll get it.”  Gene continued to stare, seemingly confused.  Babe snapped his fingers, suddenly getting a great idea.  “Hey, Gene… what was that tea you made for me the other day?  Bet that’d make you feel better.”

Gene sighed.  “You ain’t gonna quit, are you?”

“Nope.”

Gene waved toward the kitchen  “The sachets are already made up.  In the yellow jar on the counter, next to the tea pot.  Just one, Edward.”

“Right.  I’ll be right back.”  Babe hustled to the kitchen and proceeded to make the tea according to Gene’s instructions.  As soon as he was sure he’d done everything properly, he took the mug back to Gene’s room.  The man had propped himself up a bit against his pillows.  “Here you go,” Babe said, handing the warm mug over.

“Thank you.”

“Sure.”  He watched as Gene took a tentative sip of the hot liquid.  Gene’s eyelids fluttered shut and the slight frown faded from his lips.  “Hey Gene… when you were helping that guy…what were you sayin’?”

Eyes still closed, Gene murmured “I was prayin’ to God to help me take the hurt away.”

“You cured that man, without any medicine.”

“Not me,” Gene said, shaking his head.  “Power workin’ through me.”

Babe frowned, not quite understanding, but willing to let it lie for now.  “So why does it do this to you, then?”

Gene shrugged, limbs starting to go slack.  “Power always comes with a price, Edward.” 

Babe moved in and took the tea before it could spill, setting it on the bedside table.  A second later, Gene was asleep.

Babe retreated back to the living room, sat on the couch, and contemplated the fact that he’d seen an actual miracle.  Babe was raised Catholic, and maybe it was blasphemy (he was pretty sure it was blasphemy) but he couldn’t decide whether the real miracle he’d just witnessed was God at work or Gene.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love, so please let me know what you think. Also, feel free to come say hi on tumblr--I'd love to chat more about this stuff. I'm @realhunterswearplaid.


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